Shelving systems comprising a plurality of flat shelves supported by several post members are known in the art. Such systems are often made of metal and are adjustable to vary shelf heights. Individual shelves can be secured to the posts at varying heights to accommodate and support items of various sizes, thus enabling great flexibility as product designs and storage requirements change. An adjustable shelving system has been described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,424,111 and 3,523,508.
It is often desirable to connect or couple adjacent shelving assemblies together to eliminate the need for some of the support posts that would otherwise be necessary if the assemblies were not connected. Typically one assembled shelf unit comprises a plurality of flat shelves supported by four posts, a pair of posts at each end of the unit. A second unit is assembled and positioned adjacent the first assembled unit with one end of the second unit supported by two posts. At the other end of the second unit each of the shelves is coupled to and supported by a corresponding shelf on the first unit. To couple adjacent shelves together s-shaped hooks have been commonly used in the art. One loop of the hook is hung over the edge of a shelf on the first assembled unit with the other loop of the hook opened upward to receive and support the edge of the adjacent shelf on the second unit. In this manner, a number of shelving units can be coupled together to form a shelf system.
Although such s-shaped hooks allow for easy manual installation, the shelves supported by the hooks can be inadvertently disengaged by unintentional jarring of the shelves. Such disengagement can result in stored items falling off the shelf and becoming damaged or ruined, and also in injuries to any person in the immediate area struck by the falling items, which are often of substantial weight.
Another limitation of the known s-shaped hooks is that they are of limited strength and may fail if a shelf which they support is too heavily loaded. Because the shelving systems with which the s-hooks are intended to be used are designed to support heavy loads, it is desirable that the s-hooks also be capable of supporting such heavy loads. As with disengagement, failure of the s-hook due to overload could result in damage to property and person.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a means that can easily be installed by hand for coupling together shelves of adjacent shelving assemblies.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a shelf coupling means that can securely couple a pair of shelves so that the shelves will not be inadvertently disengaged.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a shelf coupling means that will not fail when the coupled shelves are fully loaded.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a shelf coupling means that is of unitary construction.
Still a further object of the present invention is to provide a shelf coupling means that is economical and efficient to manufacture.
In the preferred embodiment of the invention, an inverted U-shaped clip is provided with shelf receiving spaces on opposite sides. A first shelf receiving space is created on one side of the body of the clip by a pair of outwardly projecting members that each terminate in an upwardly extending hook. On the opposite side of the clip body, a second pair of projections extend outwardly from the clip, each terminating in an upwardly extending lip. From the same side of the clip body, a tongue disposed above the second pair of projections extends outwardly from the clip body to form a second shelf receiving space with the second pair of projections and the clip body. The tongue terminates in a downwardly extending lip.